_These next stories are written in what, were I of imposing stature, I
should call my “second manner.” “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz,”
which appeared last summer in the “Smart Set,” was designed utterly
for my own amusement. I was in that familiar mood characterized by a
perfect craving for luxury, and the story began as an attempt to feed
that craving on imaginary foods._
_One well-known critic has been pleased to like this extravaganza
better than anything I have written. Personally I prefer “The Offshore
Pirate.” But, to tamper slightly with Lincoln: If you like this sort
of thing, this, possibly, is the sort of thing you’ll like._